| Nepal ((born)नेपाल) | |
 | |
| City of Patan | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Area | 141 848 km² |
| Population | 27 676 547 hab. (2006) |
| Density | 195,11 inhab./km² |
| Form of State | federal Republic |
| Other languages | Nepali 90% (official) a dozen other languages and around 30 dialects NB: many speak English in government and commerce |
| Change | Nepalese rupee (NPR) |
| Electricity | 220 V/50 Hz |
| Telephone prefix | 977 |
| Internet suffix | .np |
| Flow direction | Drive to the left |
| Spindle | UTC 5:45 |
| Location | |
 27 ° 49 ′ 12 ″ N 84 ° 40 ′ 48 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Nepal is a country ofSouth Asia landlocked in the massif ofHimalayas, border of theIndia to the south and China North. It has eight mountains among the ten highest in the world, including theEverest which marks the border with the Tibet. Nepal has recently become Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal after abolition of the monarchy.
Understand
Privileged travel destination since the 1960s, Nepal attracts travelers in search of exoticism, nostalgic for the hippie period and mountain people wishing to enjoy its grandiose nature.
Most of the tourist activity is concentrated in the kathmandu valley and in the region of Pokhara.
History
The history of Nepal as a state does not really begin until 1768 with the unification of several small independent states, however human presence in this country is very old and is the result of successive waves of settlements from all over the world. the diverse, which today explains the incredible ethnic diversity of the country.
Ancient history
According to known mythical writings, the Kathmandu Valley was controlled for more than a millennium by the Kiranti peoples between 800 BC and 300 AD in the form of a monarchy.
Around the year 300 comes the arrival of the Licchavi from India who established a dynasty between 400 and 750 AD. At that time already coexisted Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as a system of caste.
Next comes the Mallas dynasty from 1201 AD to 1769 reigning over the territory of the Kathmandu Valley. Most of the temples in the valley date from this period.
After the death of the last King Mallas, the valley is divided into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur and what will become Nepal is then divided into about forty independent principalities.
Nepal formation
Modern Nepal was created in the second half of the 18th century when Prithivî Nârâyan Shâh, the head of the small principality of Gorkha, united a number of independent states in the foothills of the Himalayas in 1768. After seizing the throne , he closed the kingdom to foreigners, thus bringing it calm but cutting off the traditional trade routes between India and Tibet.
The kingdom will then attempt to expand, capturing for a time the kingdoms of Sikkim and those of the current Uttarakhand. Unfortunately for Nepal, England wanted an access route to Tibet. Between 1812 and 1814, therefore, the Anglo-Nepalese war ensued, which ended with the restitution of the states previously annexed to India under British rule. This war was nevertheless expensive for the English, which made return the warriors of the kingdom of Gorkha, the Gurkha, in the legend. These warriors were then for years the recruits of choice for the British army.
The era of the Rânâ
The country then sank into a period of turmoil. Stability was regained after 1846 when the Rânâ family inherited the post of Prime Minister, relegating the monarch to a role of representation. The Rânâ regime, a strongly centralized autocracy, pursues an isolationist policy, cutting Nepal off from all external influences.
Reopening of Nepal and Failures of Democracy
In 1950, King Tribhuvan, a direct descendant of Prithivî Nârâyan Shâh, escaped from his golden prison to join the newly independent India. He was re-established by a revolution in 1951 which overthrew the Rana and restored his power. He then finds himself at the head of a more or less democratic state. The country then opens again to the world.
The democratic experiment ended rather quickly, replaced by a system of absolute monarchy in 1962 by King Mahendra.After a referendum in 1979 on the democratic question which was a failure for the opposition, it was not until 1990 that Nepal becomes a parliamentary monarchy.
Civil war and end of the monarchy
Despite the parliamentary monarchy, numerous reforms, notably land reform, did not take place, which radicalized the positions of rural inhabitants whose living conditions were difficult. After the failure of the moderate Communist (Marxist-Leninist) government, overthrown then by the opposition before being able to set up its program, begins the "war of the people" in , initiated by more radical Communists (Maoists). This war will last 10 years and will make almost 20,000 dead, the 2 thirds attributable to the government.
At the same time, the , King Birendra, Queen Aiswarya, Crown Prince Dipendra and the other children of the royal couple are shot during a dinner, the official investigation will judge that Dipendra was the author. Prince Gyanendra, absent during the dinner then ascends the throne. He is not a highly regarded monarch and is even suspected by some to be the instigator of the massacre.
In 2002, he decided under the pretext of the Maoist insurrection to suspend parliament. It was only then with the general strike from 6 to that the king bends in front of the street asking for the convocation of a constituent assembly. Parliament is then reestablished and decides to drastically reduce the power of the king. The same year, an agreement was signed to end the conflict with the Maoist rebels, the latter then becoming a political force of the new political system. The , the monarchy is abolished and Nepal becomes a federal republic.
New Constitution and Earthquake
For many years, endless discussions ensued on the establishment of the new constitution, the various parties failing to come to an agreement.
On April 25, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, resulting in numerous aftershocks. The toll finally rises to 17,000 deaths and the material damage in a country with unsuitable constructions facing the earthquake is considerable. Significantly, several ancient temples and buildings in the UNESCO-listed Kathmandu Valley are collapsing.
Unintended consequences of these tragic events, the new constitution was finally promulgated in September 2015, the parties having finally managed to come to an agreement due to the circumstances. The story does not end there, however. The new constitution does not please the Madhesis ethnic group of Indian origin, the demonstrations in the Terai multiply leading to dozens of deaths and India officially closes its border for security reasons. Finally, after 5 months of a de facto blockade with significant economic consequences, in particular for energy supply, a compromise is finally found in order to amend the constitution in favor of madhesis, the situation therefore calms down, until the next episode. ?
Geography
Nepal is a country with a great diversity of altitude ranging from 60 m at 8848 m, all with a distance between the full and the very high mountain between 150 and 250 km about. On the other hand, it has no access to the sea.
Nepal is located on the Himalayan range where the highest mountains in the world are found, as well as the highest of all, Everest, so it is therefore essentially a country of mountains, but above all large hills. of medium height (2000-3000m). The so-called climates temperate and alpine appear in Nepal only at altitudes above 2000 m, so most of the country enjoys a rather tropical climate, with the flora and fauna to go with it. Nepal is therefore a fairly green country.
Nepal is divided into several regions corresponding to different altitudes and climates:
- All to the south and all the way down, is the tropical plain of Terai, it is one of the most populous regions of the country. The further north you go, the more it turns into a hilly landscape.
- Next comes the mountain range of Mahabharata , or small himalayas reaching up to 4500 m and hindering the flow of the large Himalayan rivers to the plains.
- It is then a landscape of large hills. We find in this landscape, too some low altitude plateaus, this is the case of the valley of Kathmandu, and of Pokhara.
- Finally comes the big and high Himalayas, with mountains exceeding 7000 m.
- Finally, part of the west of the country is located on the other side of the chain, on the Tibetan plateau,
Valley in the high hills
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Trek landscape to Everest, Khumbu
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Near Lo Manthang
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Populations
Nepal has more than 60 different ethnic groups of various origins. Mainly Indo-Aryan groups, more present in the plains and the hills and Tibeto-Burmese groups coming from the Tibetan plateau and present mainly in the mountain regions as well as the big cities. In addition, there are other older groups.
In addition, the population was until 1963 subjected by law to a very strict Hindu caste system, which if it is abolished today, still influences habits and leads to cases of discrimination.
We can note in particular:
- The Newars are considered the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, they have their own language, culture and caste system.
- The peoples Indo-Nepalese came in particular from India around the 12th century to flee the Muslim invasions, they are traditionally divided into a very strict hereditary caste system. From highest to lowest: Brahmans (priests), Chhetri (king, prince, officer), Vaishyas (traders, artisans and peasants), Shudras (servant). Then come the untouchables at the bottom, who occupy trades such as blacksmith (kamis), tanners (sarkis), tailors (damaï) ... who as their name suggests are untouchable, because considered in the tradition as impure, this which combined with the hereditary aspect of castes, do not offer many prospects.
- The peoples Tibetan-Nepalese such as Gurung, Magar, Sherpa, Bhotia, Tamang, etc. . He does not adhere to the Hindu caste system.
- The peoples kirantis, of Tibetan-Burmese origin and present in Nepal for a very long time. They include ethnicities such as Limbu, Rai, Sunuwar and Yakkha. They traditionally have a religion of their own.
Religions
The majority religion in Nepal is Hinduism, with Shiva being particularly revered. It concerns 81% of the population. Next comes Buddhism, practiced by about 9% of the population. Then we find Islam (4%), the religion of the Kirantis ethnic groups of animist inspiration (about 3%) then Christianity which in the statistics does not exceed 2% but which is growing strongly, especially among the lower castes for which the Hindu system is unfavorable.
However, these statistics do not show the full complexity of the Nepalese religious system. There are thus also shamanic practices, as well as a very strong syncretism, in particular between Hinduism and Buddhism which sometimes leads to curious mixture.
Nepal has very important holy places for Buddhists and Hindus, in particular the site of Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha.
The Nepalese state, for its part, is secular today, whereas it was previously officially Hindu.
Weather
The climate of Nepal is generally a monsoon climate. Only the area on the other side of the chain, placed on the Tibetan plateau, is spared from this phenomenon and has a very different dry, windy climate.
The temperature also varies a lot depending on the altitude. So if the climate is very hot at low altitudes such as Pokhara (800 m) during the monsoon the temperature is much more bearable several hundred meters higher. Likewise, during the winter, it can be very cold at altitude.
- From June to September, it's monsoon. Mountains almost constantly hidden by clouds and regular showers. To hope to see some high peaks, it is advisable to scan the horizon between 5 h and 8 h in the morning, the rest of the day the sky (and in particular the mountains) is often obstructed by many clouds. During this season, favor dry regions such as Mustang.
- From October to December, clearer skies and pleasant climate, the country's great tourist season
- From January to March, low temperature especially at altitude, snowfall sometimes around 4000m.
- From April to June, dry and hot weather, temperature reaching 40 ° C in the Téraï plain, a season popular with tourists for its high-altitude climate and flowering rhododendrons.
Readings
There are a lot of nice travel books out there, but mainly about the Himalayas. Here are some ideas:
- Tintin in Tibet (Hergé) – Probably one of the most famous French books on Nepal. Indeed, despite its title, the Hergé comic strip takes place mainly in Nepal. In this adventure of Tintin, he is looking for his friend Tchang victim of an air crash in the Himalayas.
- In the heart of the Himalayas (Alexandra David-Néel) – Explorer Alexandra David-Néel's trip to Nepal in the years 1912-1913, when the country was still almost forbidden to foreigners.
- The snow leopard (Peter Matthiessen) – Trip to Peter Matthiessen's Dolpo in 1973 to initially observe snow leopards.
Regions
Nepal is administratively divided into 5 regions running from west to east, if these regions do not correspond to the natural regions of Nepal, they correspond quite well to the accessibility zones of the country, the country being very mountainous, the main roads are west-east and located at low elevations.
 Nepal map |
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Far west (Sudur Pashchimanchal) - Mahakali River. Quite isolated region from the rest of Nepal. |  |
Middle West (Madhya Pashchimanchal) - In this region are some of the most remote Himalayan valleys. |  |
Where is (Pashchimanchal) - Pokhara region, base for the visit of Annapurna and the famous trek that goes around it, as well as many other treks in the surrounding mountains such as the one for the Kingdom of Lo. This region also includes in its southern part, the village of Lumbini in the plain of the land, the birthplace of Buddha. |  |
Center (Madhyamanchal) - In this region is the overurbanized valley of Kathmandu with its many temples. Also found there in the plain, the chitwan national park and in the mountains, the Langtang region difficult to visit since the 2015 earthquakes. |  |
Is (Purwanchal) - Eastern Nepal is best known for tourism as it is home to the roof of the world, the Sagarmāthā, known to us as Mount Everest. |  |
Cities
- 1 Kathmandu (Kantipur) – Capital and cultural center of Nepal.
- 2 Pokhara – Picturesque town on the edge of a lake and starting point for various activities (Annapurna tour especially). Lots of hotels, bars with musical scenes. Favorite destination for tourists.
- 3 Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon) – Well-preserved historic town, center of Nepalese pottery production.
- 4 Biratnagar – City located atEastern Nepal near Dharan which is known for political reasons.
- 5 Birganj – Commercial crossroads betweenIndia and Nepal.
- 6 Janakpur – Historic Religious Center: Janaki Temple is over 500 years old.
- 7 Namche Bazaar – Sherpa village located in the Solu Khumbu region, well known to trekkers.
- 8 Nepalgunj – Main city of the Far- and Middle-West development regions. Next to bardiya national park.
- 9 Patan (Lalitpur) – Twin city of Kathmandu
- 10 Bhimdatta – City in the Mahakali area.
Other destinations
- 1 Chitwan National Park – you can see tigers, rhinos and other jungle animals there.
- Khumbu – at the foot of the mountain Everest
- 2 Nagarkot – Mountain resort (the highest in the valley) one hour from Kathmandu offering a magnificent panorama of the Himalayan range
- Daman – small village in the mountains offering panoramic views of the Himalayas. Even more splendid at sunrise and sunset.
- Annapurnas – popular trekking region in Nepal, with the highly regarded Annapurna tour
Treks
- Everest – the base camp of the mount Everest is a popular trek but reserved for athletes
- Annapurna tour – probably the most traveled trek in Nepal
Religious sites
- 3 Lumbini – Birthplace of Buddha.
- 4 Bodnath – Great Stupa
- 5 Swayambunath – Famous stupa perched on a hill.
To go
Formalities
For most travelers, a tourist visa is required to be able to visit Nepal. The initial visa cannot exceed 90 days. There are 3 types: 15 days, 30 days, 90 days. The pricing is around 25 dollars / euro for 15 days, 40 for 30 and 100 for 90.
- Nepal
- Visa exemption
- Visa on arrival, free
- Free visa on arrival for tourists
- Visa on arrival
- Visa required in advance
Trekking
Tourists wishing to trek will also need a TIMS trekking card and access cards for the protected areas visited, also payable, some at very high prices. to go through an agency to visit them.
By plane
The most common connections from abroad to Nepal start from Dhaka (Bangladesh), the countries of Persian Gulf (Abu Dhabi, Doha) or theIndia (New Delhi).
By bus
Access to Nepal can be done by bus via regular connections or by the South from theIndia, or by the North via Lhasa at Tibet. However, there are few connections. Roads and means of transport are mostly far from Western standards in terms of safety and comfort.
By car
The presentation of the customs pass is compulsory if you wish to bring in your own vehicle, the payment of a daily tax is requested by the Nepalese authorities.
Due to unfavorable weather conditions, it may happen that the land crossing of the border is cut, especially from theIndia.
Circulate
Nepal is a country where travel is difficult, long and dangerous due to the combined effect of the country's poverty and geographical location making the installation and maintenance of safe transport complicated.
Walk
It might seem odd to propose such a means of locomotion, but it turns out that walking is still a means of locomotion very much used by the Nepalese themselves, if only for short distances. It is not uncommon to meet on the edge of one of the many trails in the country, locals moving quickly in thongs and overtaking tourists who have gone on trekking with all their equipment.
Walking also has the merit of being a relatively safe transport in Nepal as long as you avoid taking paths in questionable condition. premises for the passage of a bridge or a path which seems dangerous to you. The tracks that the Nepalese consider to be drivable (and where they pass buses ...) turn out to be very good path for walking without too much tiring and without having to really worry about the condition of the bridges and leeches.
Note, however, that you may have to cross water passages, with the difficult choice of having to choose between stability and a wet shoe or bare feet and an increased risk of slipping. Bringing flip flops is a good idea.
By plane
Air travel in Nepal is the only really fast way to get around. As it allows access to airports in remote parts of the country via small plane, it can save many days of travel.
It should nevertheless be noted that this transport is, like the others, dangerous.
Due to many factors making aviation difficult, accidents are frequent in this country and local Nepalese companies are quite simply on the blacklist of the European Union. Currently some travel agencies decide to suspend the use of the plane for their trips in the country, greatly limiting the possibilities of trekking travelers.
If, however, this risk will not have demotivated you to go by air, regular lines allow, from Kathmandu, to travel across the country. These lines, operated by Nepalese airlines like Yeti Airlines, Buddha Air or Nepal Airlines, are served by small propeller planes. They provide the link between Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lukla (on the trek from Everest base camp) or Jomsom (on the Annapurna trek).
By bus
There are 2 types of buses operating in Nepal: Local buses and tourist buses.
Local Bus
Local buses are the cheapest, they are one of the means of travel used by the locals to get around and carry some luggage, and they serve most of the destinations accessible by road, whether it is an asphalt road or a single track. Depending on the routes, the number and regularity of these buses varies. They tend to operate in the morning. In addition, it is often necessary to take several buses to reach more remote places.For this type of bus, it is necessary to acquire a ticket, often available at a counter next to the place where the bus stops. It is also advisable to come in advance in order to have places. Indeed, these buses often accept more passengers than available seats, it is not unlikely that you will find yourself without a seat on the bus in the middle of a corridor filled with various business. Also watch out for breaks, drivers leave without warning too much and eat their Dal bhat very quickly.
For a Western traveler not used to a stimulating experience (literally and figuratively!). On the program: crowded all-terrain bus to the background of Nepalese music. A word of advice, however: if you can prefer the "real" seats at the front of the bus, at the back you can see the movements of the bus much better, which is sometimes not at all reassuring.
Bus for tourists
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Tourist buses operate on the asphalted tourist routes. They allow you to join, among other things, Kathmandu, Pokhara, the Chitwan National Park and Lumbini. Fares are higher than for local buses because the service differs a lot. Indeed, these buses, often old high-end coaches, have according to the companies electrical outlets, fans, air conditioning, seatbelt and wifi. The stops are also designed for tourists and longer than for local buses, allowing you the luxury of having time to eat. Note that most hotels can reserve your seat on this type of bus for you.
By Minibus / Jeep
Another less formal means of transport than buses are all-terrain vehicles such as "Jeep" and minibuses, which operate in a manner similar to buses. In remote areas, personal vehicles are almost non-existent, so that is why there are these additional transportations, they are sometimes the only solution to connect certain places, are faster than buses, but are also often more expensive.
By taxi / rickshaw
In the big cities, the use of taxis, is a good plan to move quickly in Pokhara or around Kathmandu, the pricing is not done at the meter but is bargained.
Another popular means of traffic is the rickshaw (or rickshaw) which allows you to slip through the alleys without difficulty.
By car
In view of the traffic and the lack of effective traffic rules, it is not advisable to drive in Nepal unless you have been trained in some way.
In areas with a lot of traffic, driving is more like an immense chaos: blind overtaking is not uncommon and traffic jams involving many two-wheelers are daily in the valley of Kathmandu, as for the speed limit, if they can be exceeded, they will be.
In less dense areas, the problem is more on the side of the road condition, it is often a mountain side road where the road condition is often poor and the traffic a little dense. The more local axes are often tracks sometimes in places that are not very wide, crossing rivers and not very straight, causing vehicles to move a lot. The monsoon season also brings the risk of bogging down and landslides, which can make the trip much longer.
It is also preferable to give up all night trips, especially outside the capital.
Vehicle rental in this country is usually done with a driver, so you may not have to deal with this yourself.
If you really want to get behind the wheel, know that the traffic is on the left of the road and that it is mandatory to have an international driving license.
By train
The Nepalese rail network is underdeveloped. Indeed a single line for passenger which loosens the east of the Terai.
Speak
Nepal has many local languages, over a hundred! But only one language is official, Nepali.
The Nepali is the lingua franca of the country. Although English is tending to establish itself as the language of communication with tourists, children now learning to use it very early on, being able to speak and understand a little this language can be useful without being complicated. for a French speaker, especially if you plan to visit less touristy areas. In addition, the Nepalese will be delighted.
Hello is said to be "namasté" and is often accompanied by hands folded up in front of the chest. For the thank you, there is no exact translation, use nothing at all or "thank you" for small thanks and use " Dhanyabad "rather to underline your gratitude.
Otherwise in large cities, most of the population speak correct English, facilitating any type of process (request for information, ordering at a restaurant, etc.).
Nepali is written mainly in the Devanagari alphabet, also widely used in India, however there are many badges in the Latin alphabet easily understandable with very basic English. Be careful with the question of writing numbers, writing Devanagari could mislead you.
Buy
Change
The currency of Nepal is the Nepalese rupee (रूपैयाँ, NPR).
The use of an international withdrawal card (such as Visa) is sometimes possible for purchases in restaurants and tourist hotels in large cities such as Pokhara and Kathmandu nevertheless, it is advisable to find out beforehand about the associated costs. It is often more advantageous to have everything paid directly in local currency previously changed from a bureau de change or withdrawn from an ATM.
In the big cities, there are quite a few exchange offices, as are ATMs (often referred to by the acronym "ATM"). However, it can be difficult to find a functioning ATM if you are trying to take out a large sum of money. Note that most ATMs in the country require you to withdraw the card before asking for the user's pin code. is normal but it can be quite confusing for an unaccustomed traveler.
In any case, it is not useless to have a little cash on you to change in case of a problem.
In most of the transactions that you will have carried out in Nepal, it is necessary to respect a single principle: do not hesitate to haggle. You will then have the respect of the seller. This principle is especially true for the purchases of various and varied objects where the seller will have good hope to make the tourist pay that you are a price much higher than what would be a fair price, this principle remains less true for housing and even more. less catering, where the existence of menus at clearly defined prices makes bargaining almost impossible.
Memories
In big cities or even in the simplest village, access to local art is easy and inexpensive. Many Tibetans, fleeing the Tibet occupied, offer handicrafts from this provenance. AT Kathmandu or Pokhara, many objects tourist Hands will also be held out to you: T-shirts but also hats, socks, and more classic scarves or rugs in Pashmina or Cashmere. On the other hand, in certain neighborhoods (notably the neighborhood Thamel of Kathmandu), you will also find stalls for trekkers or mountaineers, which, for unbeatable prices, will offer you beautiful imitations (without the quality) of mountain equipment.
Eat
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AT Kathmandu, in the district of Thamel (rather touristy district), or in the big cities (Pokhara), the restaurants are numerous and rather affordable. À côté de restaurants plutôt bons marché, on trouve des restaurants plus chics mais à la nourriture souvent plus variée aux tarifs assez comparables aux pays occidentaux. En dehors de ces villes, les prix sont moindres mais la diversité alimentaire aussi bien souvent.
La nourriture locale est fortement typée indienne. On y retrouve ainsi une dominance du riz, une alimentation plutôt végétarienne et des plats souvent très épicés, les locaux n'hésitant pas à ajouter du piment dans la nourriture !
En dehors des villes, sur les chemins de trek (Annapurnas, Everest), les lodges (hôtels particuliers gérés par l'habitant) permettent de trouver de la nourriture typique préparée sur place. Le plat national népalais, le Dal Bhat est à base de riz blanc, avec une sauce aux lentilles et quelquefois agrémenté de pomme de terre. Vous y trouverez aussi des galettes de maïs, du beurre rance, de la soupe à l'ail (parfait pour les maux de tête en altitude). En viande, le choix principal se situe au niveau du poulet, les viandes rouges sont plus rares. En altitude, ou dans les restaurants plus cossus, vous pourrez aussi trouver du yack. Il n'est pas rare non plus de trouver des petits commerces ou des marchands ambulants vous proposant des produits frais (fruits, légumes).
Dans les régions en altitude, influencées par une culture plutôt tibétaine, la nourriture est différente, ainsi dans ces zones ou le riz ne pousse pas, ce sont plutôt les raviolis tibétains, végétarien ou fait avec de la viande, appelés momo qui sont le plat de base. Pour le petit déjeuner le pain tibétain, souvent frit, est un bon choix.
Boire
La boisson la plus populaire du Népal reste, comme partout en Asie, le thé. Selon les régions et les habitudes de chacun, sa composition varie. Vous trouverez ainsi entre autres :
- Thé au lait
- Thé Chai, thé au lait avec des épices.
- Thé au beurre de yak rance, spécifique aux régions tibétaines.
Vous trouverez aussi au Népal, selon les saisons et les régions, des jus de fruit frais tel que pomme, ananas, mangue ou encore argousier.Comme en inde, on peut goûter des boissons-yaourts à base de lait fermenté appelés Lassi.Enfin, on peut aussi bien-sûr commander les habituels sodas ainsi que des bières locales.
Housing
Le logement au Népal est comparativement au prix de la nourriture, bon marché, il vous coûtera bien souvent plus pour vous nourrir que pour vous loger.Ainsi si vous ne prévoyez pas de vous déplacer dans des zones particulièrement isolées en montagne, emmener une tente vous sera probablement superflu, dans le cas contraire elle pourrait vous être nécessaire.
AT Katmandou, dans le quartier du Thamel (quartier plutôt touristique), ou dans les grandes villes (Pokhara), les hôtels sont nombreux et abordables. Le confort est cependant variable. Dans les grandes voies de trek(Annapurnas, Everest), les lodges (petits hôtels ayant un confort modeste géré par l'habitant) permettent de se nourrir et de se loger sans difficulté.
Camping Sauvage
Learn
To work
security
Le Népal a été dans son histoire récente en proie à une guerre civile entre la monarchie au pouvoir et les maoïstes entre 1996 et 2006, avec la fin de la monarchie et le rétablissement d'un système démocratique, ce conflit à cesser et les maoïstes font partie intégrante du système politique du pays. Il semble ainsi aujourd'hui peu probable de revoir resurgir une insurrection similaire. Néanmoins, il faut noter que la situation politique reste toujours assez volatile. Ainsi après le vote de la nouvelle constitution du pays en 2015, le pays a subi de nombreuses manifestations d'une ethnie défavorable à certains éléments de la dite constitution ainsi qu'un long et dur blocus de 5 mois de l'Inde, principal partenaire économique du Népal, qui à obliger le gouvernement népalais à amender le texte.
Contrairement à certains pays d'Amérique du Sud, la violence type vol à la tire est beaucoup moins répandue au Népal. Porter une montre, ou un appareil photo ne pose pas de problème de sécurité particulier.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Health
Du fait de sa pauvreté, la situation sanitaire au Népal est moyenne et ne s'améliore pas tellement d'une année sur l'autre. Quelques conseils…
Eau
L'eau du robinet et des rivières n'est jamais potable, surtout à Katmandou où elle est certainement la plus dangereuse. Il faut donc la filtrer, la désinfecter chimiquement (à l'aide de pastilles type Micropur) ou la faire bouillir plusieurs minutes.
Une autre solution consiste tout simplement à acheter de l'eau en bouteille pour éviter toute complication gastrique.
Dans certains itinéraires de trek important, il existe des points d'eau potable conçu exprès afin d'éviter la prolifération des bouteilles plastique, l'accès n'y est cependant pas gratuit.
Faire attention avec les fruits et les légumes qui ne s'épluchent pas : bien les laver à l'aide d'eau bouillie ou, à défaut, minérale.
Pour les séjours longs, essayer de s'habituer progressivement à l'eau lors du lavage de dents par exemple, afin de pouvoir combattre plus efficacement une éventuelle infection par la suite.
Moustiques
Les moustiques font des ravages principalement pendant la période de la mousson, surtout dans les zones où l'altitude est inférieure à 1 800 mètres (notamment dans le Téraï). Pour les éloigner, utilisez des répulsifs anti-moustiques après avoir vérifié correctement leur efficacité. Des produits comme ceux de la gamme Repel Insect par exemple sont reconnus dans le monde entier. Pensez enfin à s'enduire les parties découvertes du corps toutes les quatre heures au maximum.
Les systèmes de plaquette à brancher sur une prise électrique ne sont utiles que dans la vallée. The mosquito coils, sorte d'encens que l'on fait brûler la nuit, sont très efficaces mais à bannir des lieux clos comme les chambres à coucher.
Rage
La rage sévit toujours au Népal, et il n'est pas rare de croiser des chiens errants.
Sans sombrer dans la psychose, la vaccination antirabique préventive est recommandée à tout voyageur qui se trouvera à plus de 48 h d'un centre médical apte à délivrer un traitement antirabique, à savoir Katmandou.
En cas de morsure (même venant d'une vache, également vecteur du virus), contacter immédiatement un médecin. En effet, même si les symptômes n'apparaissent qu'après 10 ou 15 jours, l'issue est malheureusement bien souvent alors fatale. Rincer abondamment et désinfecter soigneusement, puis visiter le centre médical antirabique le plus proche. Vérifier également la vaccination antitétanique, et consulter encore plus vite si elle n'est pas à jour. Enfin, penser à désinfecter plusieurs fois par jour les plaies, car la cicatrisation est longue à cause de l'impureté de l'eau courante.
Sangsues
Les sangsues ne sont pas vraiment un danger, mais plutôt un enquiquinement, elle ne vous pompe pas assez de sang pour que cela soit dangereux et ne transmettent pas de maladie.
Les sangsues se rencontrent surtout en saison de mousson, dans les campagnes concernées par le phénomène. Elles sont de plusieurs types, certaines se cachent dans les herbes d'autres plutôt sur les feuilles et attendent qu’un animal passe. Ces animaux aiment l'humidité, ainsi, vous avez plus de chance d'en rencontrer pendant ou après une averse.
Elles arrivent généralement sur vos jambes et vos pieds et tentent ici de vous sucer le sang. Il est possible de ressentir à ce moment une petite douleur qui vous signalera le fait. Dans d'autres circonstances, vous arriverait à découvrir l'animal avant même qu'il vous blesse. Dans tous les cas, il ne faut pas les arracher mais les obliger à se décrocher d'elle-même.
Il existe un tas de méthodes pour éviter les sangsues, plus ou moins efficaces et fantaisistes, notamment le sel ou le fait de bien fermer ses chaussures. Sachez néanmoins que si vous traverser des zones vraiment infestées, il est peu probable que vous y échappiez.
Il peut parfois être plus efficace de se promener en tong et de retirer une à une les sangsues avant qu'elle vous pompe le sang plutôt que devoir en catastrophe ouvrir une grosse chaussure pour détacher une sangsue.
Sida
Traitement antipaludique
Trousse médicale
Voici sa composition type :
- un antipaludique (Savarine) pour les séjours à faible altitude
- un antalgique (Doliprane)
- un antiseptique intestinal
- un antidiarrhéique
- un antibiotique à spectre large
- un antispasmodique
- de la crème solaire
- des pansements antiseptiques cutanés
- une bande de contention
- du sparadrap
- des seringues neuves et du matériel stérile
- pastilles contre les irritations de la gorge et la toux
- un médicament contre les rhinites et bronchites (fréquentes à cause de la poussière, de la pollution et des tas d'ordures)
- de la vitamine C
S'il vous reste des médicaments à la fin de votre séjour, évitez de le donner directement aux habitants qui ne savent pas comment les utiliser correctement. Cela pourrait engendrer des catastrophes ! Préférez plutôt de les déposer à l'ambassade de France, à une association compétente ou à un dispensaire.
Vaccins
Recommandés :
- Diphtérie
- Hépatite A
- Tétanos
- Rougeole
- Poliomyélite
- Fièvre typhoïde (si séjour > 1 semaine)
Dans des conditions particulières, les vaccins suivants sont recommandés: Hépatite B, Rage, Encéphalite japon.
Assurance
Il est indispensable de vérifier que vous êtes bien assuré avant le départ. Pensez aussi à vérifier que votre assurance couvre aussi la montagne et le trekking si ces activités font partie de votre programme. Une bonne assurance pour le trekking est celle proposée par le Club au vieux campeur.
Respect
Le Népal est un pays pauvre, il convient de ne pas afficher trop ostentatoirement ses richesses (billets, ...).
Comme dans la célèbre BD "Tintin au Tibet", les structure architecturales bouddhistes tel que stûpa et chorten doivent se traverser dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre, donc par la gauche.
De plus, ne soyez pas choqués en croyant voir des croix gammées, en réalité ce sont des Svastika qui symbolisent l'éternité. Pour les Népalais, c'est un signe de joie et non pas de racisme.
Communicate
Bien que le déplacement et l'accès à l'électricité restent toujours des problèmes au Népal, les moyens de communications modernes s'y sont plutôt bien implanté.Les jeunes népalais eux-mêmes sont très connectés.
Internet
Dans les villes, le wifi est souvent présent dans les hôtels et des cybercafés sont présents. Selon les lieux de treks, il peut arriver que certains villages disposent aussi du wifi accessible dans la plupart des lodges. Les connexions peuvent alors être relativement lentes au regard des habitudes du voyageur.
Il est intéressant de noter que certaines connexions sont fournis par des fournisseurs d'accès indien, ainsi, certains contenus peuvent être inaccessibles du fait de la censure de l'internet exercé dans ce pays voisin.
Phone
Le réseau téléphonique mobile est aujourd'hui plutôt bien développé au Népal. Il permet aussi d'accéder à l'internet mobile. Pour pouvoir en profiter pleinement, il est conseiller d'acheter une carte sim sur place, cela vous reviendra bien moins cher que d'utiliser l'itinérance de votre numéro existant.
| Cet article reprend du contenu de l'article Histoire du Népal de Wikipédia . See the history of this page for the list of authors. |